Red Hat NETWORK SATELLITE SERVER 3.7 Installation Manual page 7

Chapter 1. Introduction
Database — for the Stand-Alone Database, this may be the organization's existing database or,
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preferably, a separate machine. RHN Satellite Server 3.7 supports Oracle 9i R2. For the Embedded
Database, the database comes bundled with RHN Satellite Server and is installed on the same
machine as the Satellite during the installation process.
RHN Satellite Server — core "business logic" and entry point for Red Hat Update Agent running
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on client systems. The RHN Satellite Server also includes an Apache HTTP Server (serving XML-
RPC requests).
RHN Satellite Server Web interface — advanced system, system group, user, and channel manage-
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ment interface.
RPM Repository — package repository for official Red Hat RPM packages and custom RPM pack-
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ages identified by the organization.
Management Tools:
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Database and filesystem synchronization tools
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RPM importing tools
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Channel maintenance tools (Web-based)
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Errata management tools (Web-based)
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User management tools (Web-based)
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Client system and system grouping tools (Web-based)
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Red Hat Update Agent on the client systems
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The Red Hat Update Agent on the client systems must be reconfigured to retrieve updates from the
organization's internal RHN Satellite Server instead of the central Red Hat Network Servers. After
this one-time reconfiguration, client systems may retrieve updates locally using the Red Hat Update
Agent, or system administrators may schedule actions through the RHN Satellite Server website.
Important
Red Hat strongly recommends that clients connected to RHN Satellite Server be running the latest
update of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to ensure proper connectivity.
When a client requests updates, the organization's internal RHN Satellite Server queries its database,
authenticates the client system, identifies the updated packages available for the client system, and
sends the requested RPMs back to the client system. Depending upon the client's preferences, the
package may also be installed. If the packages are installed, the client system sends an updated pack-
age profile to the database on the RHN Satellite Server; those packages are removed from the list of
outdated packages for the client.
The organization can configure the website for the RHN Satellite Server to be accessible from the
local area network only or from both the local area network and the Internet. The Satellite's version
of the RHN website allows full control over client systems, system groups, and users.
The RHN Satellite Server management tools are used to synchronize the RHN Satellite Server
database and package repository with Red Hat Network. The RHN Satellite Server import tool
allows the system administrator to include custom RPM packages in the package repository.
RHN Satellite Server can be used in conjunction with RHN Proxy Server to deliver a distributed,
self-contained Red Hat Network deployment for the organization. For example, an organization can
maintain one RHN Satellite Server in a secure location. Red Hat systems with local network access
to the RHN Satellite Server can connect to it. Other remote offices can maintain RHN Proxy Server
installations that connect to the RHN Satellite Server. The different locations inside the organization
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